NEW BEDFORD — Seventeen New Bedford Public Schools employees made more than $100,000 last year, including two teachers.

Fifteen administrators — including assistant superintendents, headmasters, principals, and directors — made more than $100,000.

Three of the top 10 earners are no longer employees of the School Department: former superintendent Mary Louise Francis; former Assistant Superintendent Danielle Carrigo; and former Normandin principal Jeanne Bonneau, who retired as director of mathematics for the district.

In May 2012, Francis retired with a $200,000 severance package (representing 15 months pay), plus sick days and vacation, after six weeks of negotiation between the mayor and the school district.

In August, Durkin said that Carrigo was "no longer available" at the department and on Tuesday she said she had resigned.

The New Bedford district is classified as Level 4 by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the second-worst rating by the state.

Many teachers are highly paid because of seniority and advanced degrees; for instance, the first salary step for a teacher with a bachelor's degree is about $39,000, but with a master's, that teacher would earn about $42,000. The same teacher with a "certificate of advanced graduate studies" or a doctorate would earn nearly $44,000.

Those reaching 15 and 30 years of experience are on a higher salary schedule. At the highest step, they would earn $69,000 with a bachelor's; nearly $72,000 with a master's and nearly $74,000 with the advanced graduate certificate or doctorate.

Some school employees earn even more because they're doing extra things like advising after-school clubs, teaching summer school or coaching.

Helia M. Macedo-Fields and Fernando A. Pimentel are listed as teachers with more than 30 years experience. Macedo-Fields earned $100,153 in 2013 and Pimentel $100,100.

The 2013 state averages for teachers' salaries are not yet available through the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to compare with the 2013 New Bedford salaries. The 2012 numbers, however, showed New Bedford educators were in line with the state average last year.

School Committee Member Bruce Oliveira said compensating teachers is part of attracting the best to New Bedford.

"We have to be competitive and pay our teachers well to try to attract the best teachers available, in an effort to make the best school system," Oliveira said.

School Committee Member Josh Amaral said despite problems in the district, the best teachers he had were veteran ones.

"I think the experienced teachers I had when I was in school were the best generally," said Amaral, adding that in other professions, employees with experience and advanced degrees are also on the higher-paid end of the spectrum.

Marlene Pollock, another School Committee member, said some of the administrative positions in the system can be critical to the direction of the district.

"My opinion is that top leadership is key, and we have that now," Pollock said. "It's like the orchestra. The conductor makes sure everyone coordinates and delivers the right kind of musical productions," she said, adding that she believes the superintendent is bringing in the right kind of administrators and is very thorough.

"People need to have faith in the superintendent," said Pollock.

In 2012, the state average salary for a teacher was $70,962 and New Bedford's average was just below that at $70,056, according to the Department of Education and Secondary Education. Fall River teachers made less on average than in New Bedford, coming in at $67,069 in 2012.

Brockton teachers were better paid than New Bedford and the state average, with a mean salary of $77,804, and Taunton teachers earned $71,843 on average.